Method and system for a combined signal detection for physical layer communication devices

Abstract

Communication devices coupled via a communication link may comprise physical layer devices that may be operable to determine presence of a received signal and to mitigate noise in the signal prior to processing and/or validating the signal. Analog and/or digital signal processing may be utilized to process the signal and/or mitigate noise in the signal. Noise mitigation may comprise near-end crosstalk cancelling and/or echo cancelling and/or may utilize local transmit signal information. Subsequent to noise mitigation, samples of the noise reduced signal may be accumulated and/or an average signal strength and/or average signal power level may be determined. The average signal strength and/or average signal power level may be compared to one or more thresholds which may be configurable and/or programmable.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for communication, the method comprising:
 performing by one or more physical layer devices in one or more communication devices that are coupled via a communication link:
 receiving a signal from the communication link at a hybrid circuit of the one or more physical layer devices; 
 determining whether the signal received at the hybrid circuit is a valid signal; 
 mitigating noise of a hybrid output signal outputted by the hybrid circuit prior to processing the hybrid output signal; 
 processing the hybrid output signal by normalizing an attenuation of the hybrid output signal and scaling the hybrid output signal by removing one or more least significant bits; and 
 determining an average signal strength of the hybrid output signal subsequent to mitigating the noise. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing the hybrid output signal comprises validating the hybrid output signal. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising processing the hybrid output signal utilizing analog or digital signal processing. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising mitigating the noise utilizing analog or digital signal processing. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising mitigating the noise utilizing local transmit signal information. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising mitigating the noise utilizing near-end crosstalk cancellers and/or echo cancellers. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising accumulating samples of the hybrid output signal subsequent to the mitigating the noise. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein validating the hybrid output signal comprises comparing the average signal strength of the hybrid output signal to one or more thresholds subsequent to mitigating the noise, the hybrid output signal being validated responsive to the average signal strength meeting the one or more thresholds. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , comprising programming and/or configuring the one or more thresholds. 
     
     
       10. A system for communication, the system comprising:
 one or more circuits for use in one or more communication devices that are coupled via a communication link, the one or more circuits in the one or more communication devices comprises one or more physical layer devices, 
 wherein one or more circuits are operable to:
 receive a signal from the communication link at a hybrid circuit thereof; 
 determine whether the signal received at the hybrid circuit is a valid signal; 
 mitigate noise of a hybrid output signal prior to processing the hybrid output signal; 
 process the hybrid output signal by normalizing an attenuation of the hybrid output signal and scaling the hybrid output signal by removing one or more least significant bits; and 
 determine an average signal strength of the hybrid output received signal subsequent to mitigating the noise. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said processing the hybrid output signal comprises validating the signal. 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to process the hybrid output signal utilizing analog or digital signal processing. 
     
     
       13. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to mitigate the noise utilizing analog or digital signal processing. 
     
     
       14. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to mitigate the noise utilizing local transmit signal information. 
     
     
       15. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to mitigate said noise utilizing near-end crosstalk cancellers or echo cancellers. 
     
     
       16. The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to accumulate samples of the signal subsequent to the mitigating the noise. 
     
     
       17. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein validating the hybrid output signal comprises comparing the average signal strength level of the hybrid output signal to one or more thresholds subsequent to mitigating the noise, the hybrid output signal being validated responsive to the average signal strength level meeting the one or more thresholds. 
     
     
       18. The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the one or more circuits are operable to program or configure the one or more thresholds.